Steamers 2018
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I don't think it will surprise anyone after the news that Ross has re-signed with the Chiefs, but it is now also confirmed that he has re-signed with Bay of Plenty until 2021.
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I'm not sure what you can read into that Taihape game. With probably 10 or 12 Steamers who played in club finals and Super rugby not included in those teams the results may be meaningless. Having said that Manawatu were probably in the same situation. This Fridays game against Harbour at Ngarawahia may be more interesting and will see more of the full squad playing. Interesting to see the TAB already making us third favourite behind Otago and Waikato which is odd considering that our team isn't even announced and we have only played one preseason game.
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Bay of Plenty: 1. Solomona Sakalia, 2. Valentine Meachen, 3. James Lay, 4. Baden Wardlaw, 5. Kane Le'aupepe, 6. Hoani Matenga, 7. Hugh Blake, 8. Ajay Mua, 9. Luke Campbell, 10. Jason Robertson, 11. Matt Garland, 12. Terrence Hepetema, 13. Liam Steel, 14. Fa'asiu Fuatai, 15. Bailey Simonsson. Reserves: 16. Angus MacDonald, 17. Tom McHugh, 18. Tevita Mafileo, 19. Lars Morrice, 20. Zane Kapeli, 21. Isaac Te Aute, 22. Elijah Nicholas, 23. Kaleb Trask
Fixture Details:
Bay of Plenty v North Harbour
Date: Friday August 3
Location: Ngaruawhia High School, 56 Kent St, Ngaruawahia
Time: 12.30pm kick-off -
BOP 43 Harbour 26
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According to the local paper the team is officially announced tomorrow.
I see Te Aihe Toma is on the Counties team list which is odd because Judd hasn't fronted for any preseason games thus far and Issac Te Aute played at halfback for half of todays Harbour game. Good on Toma anyway.
Hopefully tomorrow will reveal a bit more.
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2018 Bay of Plenty Steamers Squad:
Hookers:
Nathan Harris – Te Puke Sports (29), Liam Polwart – Greerton Marist (14), Sabastian Siataga – Mount Maunganui (13)Props:
Ross Geldenhyus – Papamoa (0), James Lay – Whakarewarewa (10), Tevita Mafileo – Tauranga Sports (0), Tom McHugh – Whakarewarewa (0), Aidan Ross – Te Puke Sports (24), Solomona Sakalia – Mount Maunganui (33), Jeff Thwaites – Te Puna (21)Locks:
Tyler Ardron – Papamoa (7), Kane Le’aupepe – Te Puke Sports (0), Baden Wardlaw – Rotoiti (1)Loose Forwards:
Hugh Blake – Te Puke Sports (15), Sam Cane – Tauranga Sports (19), Mitchell Karpik – Rangataua (6), Tanerau Latimer – Rangiuru (79)Number 8’s:
Aileone Junior Lafaele-Mua (AJ) – Tauranga Sports (1), Hoani Matenga – Rangiuru (0)Half backs:
Luke Campbell – Te Puke Sports (16), Richard Judd – Mount Maunganui (10)First five-eights:
Mike Delaney – Mount Maunganui (72), Jason Robertson – Te Puke Sports (0)Midfield backs:
Lalakai Foketi – Rangataua (30), Terrence Hepetema – Te Puna (19), Liam Steel – Mount Maunganui (4), Trael Joass – Mount Maunganui (0)Outside backs:
Matthew Garland – Whakarewarewa (3), Fa’asui Fuatai – Rangataua (0), Kaleb Trask – Tauranga Sports (0), Bailey Simonsson – Greerton Marist (0), Chase Tiatia – Rangataua (26)A few surprises...The return of Foketi and Tiatia and the inclusion of the South African prop Ross Geldenhyus,
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@snollygoster where is Parete?
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@taniwharugby No one seems to know what has happened to him. Was playing club rugby in Taranaki and then the Chiefs but haven't seen him listed any any of the Taranaki teams yet. Someone will know.
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I heard he Wasn’t resigned because he enjoyed being too social drink wise and after being told to slow down he chose to continue enjoying himself too much........
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Okay, its raining and I have nothing better to do....
I'm surprised there hasn't been a few comments on the team selections...on who should or should not have made the team or how bad (or good) they will perform. No doubt they will come as the season progresses...
From my point of view I'm pretty happy with the team on paper but, as usual, won't get to excited till I see them in the competition. There hasn't been a mass exodus from last year and the core of last years team, including the management staff, are still about. Preseason games can be misleading but can, I suppose, give an indication of impending disasters. Thus far we can only say that we will be at least competitive (given what little we have seen of them).
Hookers:- The past couple of years they have gone with four hookers and six props. This year we have three hookers and seven props for some reason. I see Siataga is already out with a buggered leg so with Harris in the AB mix, we start the comp with one available hooker.
Props:- I'm not sure what the story is with Ross's injury but I'm pretty sure McHugh was carried off with a foot injury on the Harbour game so we may start a little light on props. Google tells me Ross Geldenhyus is a 120kg 35 year old from South African who has previously played for Ta$man and the Highlanders.
Locks:- We will miss Franklon and Mewett but the three replacements should be a fine. You guys tell me Ardron has been a revelation for the Chiefs, Le'aupepe has been a stand out at club level and I could never understand how Wardlaw was never picked previously. Having said that lineouts have been shaky in preseason games. The scrums however have been pretty solid.
Loose forwards :- A pretty classy group. Blake had a great game against Harbour and even played a bit on the right wing near the end.
Number 8's :- Two totally contrasting people. Mua..the shortish nuggety combative player and Matenga...the tallish rangey type.
Halfbacks :- Campbell captained on the last game so I expect him to be co captain. Im one of the few who prefer him ahead of Judd..He seems to be a better organiser and is incredibly fast off the mark.
First five-eights :- Delaney has hardly played since last season so, at least, will be fresh if not a little rusty. Robertson has had a good club season, is fiesty and fearless and a reasonable kicker so should at least be better than Haimana. I'm surprised Trask is classified as an outside back as I think he has played most of his rugby at first 5.
Midfield backs :- I'm pleased Foketi is back. He seems to combine best with Hepetema and will probably be better after a season of Super rugby. Don't know much about Joass apart from his time with the NZ sevens and Ta$man.
Outside backs :- Tiatia's inclusion is welcome. On form he is dangerous. Hopefully we haven't seen the best of Bailey..he missed a few glaring tackles against Harbour and his "skipping and jumping" gets annoying. At speed and running the right lines he looks good. Fuatai hasn't really had the opportunities yet to show what he's made of but was rated in Otago so I'm hopeful.
This Fridays Auckland game will be telling as the top team is usually tested in the final preseason and Auckland played well against Wellington so they should be a test.
What do you guys think ? Good team ? Bad team
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I agree - hard to say at this point. Too many new players and until they play at this level, you never really know how they will stand up. Geldenhyus had a fantastic mullet when I last saw him play and he likes to be "aggressive". Lock and wing is where we have lost good players from last season so that is the most worrying area that I can see.
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@taniwharugby said in Steamers 2018:
@snollygoster where is Parete?
He's been named in the Taranaki squad that I posted in the main Mitre 10 Cup thread.
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The Katikati community will be treated to a festival of rugby this Friday when the Bay of Plenty Steamers take to the field for their final pre-season game proudly sponsored by Seeka against Auckland at Moore Park in Katikati.
Following three consecutive pre-season wins over Manawatu and Wanganui in the Game of Three Halves in Taihape prior to last weekend’s victory against North Harbour in Ngaruawahia, the Steamers team will again field a strong starting fifteen.
Head Coach Clayton McMillan has been forced to make two last minute changes due to sickness and injury in the locks with late call ups Aaron Carrol and Lars Morrice respectively securing a starting position and spot on the bench. Other notable starters is Te Puna’s Jeff Thwaites returning to the fold and Kaleb Trask moving into the starting first five eight position.
An experienced bench will see the return of fullback Chase Tiatia following his super rugby duties, the introduction of prop Ross Geldenhyus, hooker Valentine Meachen and All Blacks Sevens representative Trael Joass on the wing.
Bay of Plenty Steamers:
- James Lay
- Liam Polwart
- Jeff Thwaites
- Aaron Carrol
- Tyler Ardron
- Hugh Blake
- Mitch Karpik
- Hoani Matenga
- Luke Campbell
- Kaleb Trask
- Matt Garland
- Terrence Hepetema
- Liam Steel
- Fa’asiu Fuatai
- Bailey Simonsson
Reserves:
16. Valentine Meachen
17. Solomona Sakalia
18. Ross Geldenhyus
19. Lars Morrice
20. Ajay Mua
21. Richard Judd
22. Trael Joass
23. Chase Tiatia
24. Tevita MafileoThe Katikati Township will proudly welcome the presence of the Bay of Plenty Steamers, with selected players’ joining Seeka to deliver kiwi fruit to local schools including Katikati Primary School and Omokoroa Point in the morning.
The afternoon of rugby at Katikati Rugby Club, Moore Park will kick off with Katikati College 1st XV taking on Opotiki College 1st XV in the Toi Ohomai Baywide Secondary Schools Division Two semi-final at 12.30pm. This will be followed by a Bay of Plenty Invitational Sevens side taking on Japanese Select Women’s Sevens team at 2.10pm. The Steamers will kick off their final pre-season against Auckland at 2.45pm.
A selection of local food trucks and a cluster of sponsors’ tents will line the fields in what is expected to be an exciting afternoon for the local community.
Seeka Pre-Season Bay of Plenty Steamers v Auckland:
Fixture: Katikati College 1st XV v Opotiki College 1st XV
Time: Kick off 12.30pm
Venue: Moore Park, Katikati
Cost: Free EntryFixture: Bay of Plenty Invitational Sevens v Japanese Invitational Sevens
Time: Kick off 2.10pm
Venue: Moore Park, Katikati
Cost: Free EntryFixture: Bay of Plenty Steamers v Auckland
Time: Kick off 2.45pm
Venue: Moore Park, Katikati
Cost: Free Entry -
This is an illuminating article about what the coach thinks. It seems he rates our backs but has concerns about our forwards. Looks like Ross ,Siataga and McHugh are pretty much out for the season with several others presently carrying injuries also...not a good start on the injury front.
SunLive - McMillan upbeat as Steamers’ season approaches - The Bay's News First
McMillan upbeat as Steamers’ season approaches
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BOP 14 Auckland 16
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Some thoughts.
Two tries each with Auckland getting two penalties. One Auckland try resulted from Tiatia waiting for a ball from kick off, which was bouncing, to go out of play but it was scooped up by an Aucklander who scored.
A good game for BOP to get before the season proper.
This Auckland side is a pretty decent side boasting Akira Ioane (who is unstoppable with ball in hand), Blake Gibson and Dalton Popalii in the loose forwards as examples.
There were a lot of replacements (Auckland had 12 and BOP had 8).
Many in the BOP team played in different positions at different times during the game.
Le'aupepe, Wardlaw, Latimer, Delany, Robertson and Foketi never played.
I'm not worried at all by the result as BOP should take a lot of learning from the game. Theres plenty to work on...lineouts, tackling and kicking come to mind.
Bring on the real games. I can't wait.
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What were your thoughts on Auckland..?,and how was their set piece scrum..?
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@steven-harris You have to remember that these are preseason games and the coaches aren't giving to much away so I try not to read to much into them I remember one year BOP beat Hawkes Bay in a preseason by 35-0. BOP went on to have a pretty average year.
Yesterdays game didn't really show to much either with the constant changing of players on both sides (I think both teams changed 5 players at one time) and I know several players also from the Bay were swapping positions on the field.
I have been to all the BOP's preseason games and this was the most closely contested which is probably what both teams wanted and showed that one team is not streets ahead of the other. You could argue that Auckland should expect to beat us comfortably (given they are a premiership team) but this wasn't the case which is encouraging for us maybe and less so for you maybe.
In general however (in my view) you could possibly say that we had the better of you in the scrums and you possibly dominated us in the lineouts which admittedly were pretty scrappy at the best of times. Ioane was a beast and some of your outside backs looked classy.
Sorry for being vague but we will all know more after the first round of games when coaches show all their cards and play their top teams
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@snollygoster Thanks for the update,really I was only curious about the Auckland scrum because the Auckland coaching staff had signed a prop from Northland,which is totally unheard of..which also suggests to me,the cupboard in terms of tighthead props is a little thin,
Auckland are my 2nd team,the Taniwha will always be my team,but was more to get a gauge of what Northland might expect in Round 2...but like you said,not always easy when players are running on and off in a pre hit out,but I think you can get a feel in the opening 40 of where a teams strengths are.
